John a



(No Model.)

J. A. COOPER.

PINLESS CLOTHES LINE.

No. 666,711. Patented Ai1g.25, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OE-EicE.

JOHN A. COOPER, OF ROGERS PRAIRIE, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF TKVO IHIRDS TO O. M. RASOO AND J. B. RASCO, OF SAME PLACE.

PINLESS CLOTHES-LINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,711, dated August 25, 1896.

- Application filed February 21, 1895. Serial No. 539,237. (No model.)

To all whom it rim/y concern.

Be it known that 1, JOHN A. COOPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bogers Prairie, in the county of Leon and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Pinless Clothes-Line, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pinless clotheslines, and has for its object to provide a sim- IO ple device constructed of connected links and provided with means for engaging articles to be suspended therefrom, such means being so constructed as to prevent displacement when subjected to severe strains.

I 5 Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a pinless clothes-line constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view of one of the links. Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The line is composed of a series of identi- 0 cal or similarly-construeted links connected directly together without interposed auxiliary devices, and, as the construction is the same throughout, the specific description of one link will suilice.

5 The body portion 1 of the link is straight and terminates at one end in a loop 2 and at the other end in a spring-coil 3, and arranged in operative relation with this body portion is a jaw or clasp 4, formed as a continuation of the coil 3 and terminating in a hook 5 for engagement with the body portion of the link. The function of this jaw or clasp is to engage articles of clothing to be suspended from the line, and, as it is desirable when the free eX- 5 tremity thereof is disengaged from the body portion of the link to have it within reach of the hand holding the article to be suspended, I have provided a limiting device 6, consisting of a loop 7, integral with the wire forming the link and interposed between the arm of the jaw or clasp and the spring-coil, said loop terminating in an elongated eye 8, which engages the straight body portion of the link contiguous to the coil. This eye is elongated in the plane of movement of the jaw or clasp to allow the latter to be actuated by the spring coil, but the length of the eye is only-sufficient to allow the free or hooked end of the jaw or clasp to drop slightly below the plane of the body portion of the link when disen- (o gaged therefrom. Thus the free end of the jaw or clasp is held close to the body portion of the link and within easy reach of a hand holding an article to be suspended from the line. 6 5

It will be seen that the link is simple in construction, comprising a single blank of wire, and that the loop 2 is arranged in a plane at right angles to the plane of the spring-coil, and hence of the jaw or clasp, whereby twisting of the line during use is avoided.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the prin- 7 5 ciple or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described the invention, I claim 1. A section of a metallic clotl1es-line,having an eye at one end, an arm leaving said eye and looped upwardly over the body of the section near said eye, the free end of said arm being arranged to en gage the body of the section from the upper side thereof.

2. A pinless clothes line constructed of links, each having a straight body portion terminating in a spring-coil, a jaw or clasp connected with the spring-coil and adapted to engage an intermediate part of the body portion of the link, and a limiting device cargo ried by the jaw or clasp and having an elongated eye engaging the body portion of the link 'to limit the movement of the jaw or clasp, substantially as specified.

3. A pinless clothes-line comprising a series 9 5 of connected links, each constructed of a single wire blank and consisting of a straight body portion terminating at one end in a permanent loop and at the other end in a springcoil arranged in a plane at right angles to the plane of the loop, a limiting device arranged contiguous to the springcoil and consisting of an eye integral with and engaging the body portion of the link contiguous to the coil and In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in elongated in the plane of the coil, and a jaw the presence of two Witnesses. or clasp provided with a terminal hook to engage the body portion of the link and limited in its movement by said elongated eye, substantially as described.

- JOHN vA. COOPER. Witnesses:

D. N. ARNOLD, M. A. SEAROY. 

